Locking guide for swingable doors



A. E. SMALL LOCKING GUIDE FOR SWINGABLE DOORS Dec. 22, 1931 Filed Deo. 19, 1929 Patented Dec. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR E. SMALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLNOIS, .ASSIGNOR TO UNION METAL '.FRODUCTS COMPANY, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F DELAVJARE LOCKING GUIDE FOR SWINGABLE 'DOORS Application filed December 19, 1929. Serial No. 415,286.

rlhe invention relates to hingeable doors for a railway car forming a part of the load retaining means therefor .and may be `used vin connection with the drop doors of hopper cars, general service gondola cars, ballast cars, ore cars or in connection with drop end doors for mill type gondola cars or the swingable side walls of ballast cars, or in fact, may be used in the place of any hinge in a railway car.

The object of the invention is to provide a guide for such doors which protrudes through an aperture in a beam, iioor or other part of the car and is formed with a hinging surface which engages one edge of the aperture during its swinging movement and is also provided with an outer arcuate surface positioned to engage another edge of the aperture`\toguide\ the door during its swinging movement.

Another object is to provide the guide with a removable projection (which is attached after the guider is projected through the aperture) with the width of the guide and projection exceeding the width of the aperture so that the guide is locked'in place upon the car.

Another object is to eliminate the usual hinge butts and hinge pins.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 show the invention used in connection with the drop end door or gate of a mill type gondola car;

Figs. 5 and 6 showthe invention used in connection with the drop door o' a general service car.

Figs. 7 and 8 show the invention used in connection with a hopper car.

Fig. 9 shows a door with the invention ap- 40 plied thereto.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the invention used in connection with the drop end door or" a mill type gondola car, wherein 2 is the floor and 3 is the end sill angle. The iioor is provided with an aperture 4 through which the guide 5 protrudes, which guide is cast integral with or secured to the drop door. The aperture is slightly wider than the guide 5 and after the guide is inserted through the aperture the 5C' rivet, bolt or other projection 6 is secured to it so that the width of the guide and proj ection exceeds the width of the aperture whereby the guide can not be removed from the aperture until the projection is removed from the guide. The guide is provided with a laterally extending part 7 forming a surface -8 engaging one end of the aperture as the door is moved from closed position, shown in Fig. 1, to open position, as shown in Fig.

2. The guideris also formed with an outer arcuate surface 9 positioned to engage the opposite edge of the aperture and guide the door during its swinging movement. lVith this arrangement the door is held in the proper position, both longitudinally and laterally of itself, in its open and closed position and in any position therebetween.

The size `oi the aperture 4 in the floor is such that as the'doorV is swung upwardly to closed position the guide 5 moves the door 70 into engagement (or substantially so) with the end sill angle 3, which angle projects above the floor and formsan abutment for the door between the spaced apart side wails and preferably relieves the guides 5 of stresses 75 imposed upon the door by shitting cargos.

The'door is substantially the same width as the aperture 4 so thatl the door effectively closes the opening against leakage of ladings7 such as sand or chats.

. Figs. 1 andV 2 illustrate a cast metal door having the guide cast integral therewith, while Fig. 3 shows a separate door 11 having the locking guide 12 secured thereto.

Fig. 4 showsa car having a `wooden loor 85 15 provided with a large opening 16 which is partially closed by the. application Iof the 4plate 17 after the locking guide is projected through the aperture.

Figs. 5 and 6 show the invention used in a 90 general service car in which the iloor comprises a plurality of horizontally positioned doors 2O hinged to the center construction 2l. In thev form illustrated the center sill 21 -is provided with an aperture Q2 through 95 whichthe locking guide 23 prot'rudes and the cover plate 24, whichforms a part of the floor, is extended beyond the center sill to overlap the door 20. Any convenient stop may be used to limit the downward movement of the door. These doors usually swing about thirty degrees. The locking guide 23 supports the door when in dropped position and when the door is closed the locking guide retains the door in its proper relative position to the sill.

Figs. 7 and 8 show tne device used in connection with a hopper car which is provided with slope sheets 30 forming a hopper having a stiffening beam 3l adjacent the lower edge. In my arrangement this stiening beam 3l is provided with an aperture through which the locking guide 33 projects and the sloping floor 30 extends beyond the stitfening beam and partially overlaps the door 34. The locking guide supports the door during its entire swinging movement, as well as in open and closed position.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. In a railway car, the combination of a car part having an aperture, a door provided with a guide projecting through the aperture, said guide having a laterally extending part forming a hinging surface with one edge of the aperture, said part having a removable lateral projection with the width of the guide and projection exceeding the width of the aperture whereby the guide can not be removed from the aperture until the projection is removed from the guide.

2. In a railway car, the combination of a car part having an aperture, a door provided with a guide projecting through the aperture having a laterally extending part forming a hinging surface with one edge of the aperture, said part having a removable lateral projection with the width of the guide and projection exceeding the width of the aperture whereby the guide can not be removed from the aperture until the projection is removed froln the guide, said guide having an outer arcuate surface positioned to engage another edge of the aperture to guide the door during its swinging movement.

3. In a railway car, the combination of a car part having an aperture, a floor having a portion projecting beyond the car part, and a door underlying said portion and provided with a guide projecting` through the aperture, said guide having a laterally extending part forming a hinging surface with one edge of the aperture, said part having a removable lateral projection with the width of the guide and projection exceeding the width of the aperture whereby the guide can not be removed from the aperture until the projection is removed from the guide.

4. In a railway car, the combination of spaced apart side walls, a floor, an abutment projecting above the floor and extending between the side walls, an aperture in the floor adjacent the abutment, and a door provided with a guide projecting through the aperture, said guide having a laterally extending part forming a hinging surface with one edge of the aperture and an outer arcuate surface positioned to engage the abutment to guide the door into engagement therewith when in upright position.

5. In a railway car, the combination of a floor having an aperture therein, and a door provided with a guide projecting through the aperture, said guide having a laterally extending part forming a hinging surface with one edge of the aperture, said door being substantially the same width as the aperture whereby the aperture is substantially closed when the door is in upright position.

ARTHUR E. SMALL. 

